Social Work with Foundation Year

This course includes an additional foundation year at the start of your study. This will bring the course to 4 years and is available to you if you didn't quite meet the entry requirements or you feel less comfortable about diving into full time study. The foundation year is designed to boost your academic learning skills and your confidence to study at degree level.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University? You can benefit from our strong reputation within the world of Social Work, with high-quality placements, locally and in the London area, to enhance your skillset as well as gain valuable work experience throughout your degree. Many of our graduates have gone on to become employed with their degree placements due to the highly desirable skillset and the relationships built while studying at BNU. You can work closely with people with lived experience, so you can hear first-hand about the impact you could make on individuals and communities.

We collaborate with a broad range of partners to offer placements within local authorities, healthcare trusts, and organisations from the voluntary and independent sectors, all of which are within a 25-mile radius of our High Wycombe Campus. We understand employers want to see experience and skills with a proactive attitude to learning. BNU offers you the opportunity to not only demonstrate those traits to a potential future employer but see the benefits of BNU first hand in both your professional skills and personal life and goals.

Our Foundation Year equips you with essential transferable skills such as communication, teamwork, and organisation. These are highly valued by employers and can significantly enhance your career prospects. Completing this year also sets you up for success in your degree, opening many professional paths and increasing your earning potential.

What facilities can I use? With fantastic facilities in the Buckinghamshire area, we are the only institution that can offer our equipment in High Wycombe and the immediate surrounding area. Our High Wycombe campus is located only 35 minutes from central London which makes commuting super easy and stress free. At our High Wycombe Campus, we have purpose-built facilities, including well-equipped simulation clinics and rehabilitation teaching rooms.

What will I study? Our social work course develops you into a future proof social worker who has the knowledge, skills and values required to practice in a challenging environment. At the end of your course you will be able to demonstrate knowledge about the nature of social work practice across a range of settings, with the ability to apply your understanding of social sciences, law, research and social work theory.

The Foundation Year will run over two a days a week. You will study academic skills, enquiry and evidence-based practice, ethics, personal development and team building, as well as communication skills. After successful completion, you will progress onto the BSc program (full-time).

Developed in consultation with employers and local social work organisations, we will provide you with the skills, knowledge and ability to fulfil demand both locally, nationally and abroad. You’ll graduate with a highly specialised skillset and a deep theoretical knowledge backed up with your working experience. You are required to undertake placement at year two and three where your knowledge, skills and values are further developed to help you become adequately prepared to enter the world of social work.

Our course is designed to help you develop both personally and professionally and has been developed to meet the standards for education and training of Social Work England (SWE), Social Work England Professional Standards, the QAA Benchmarking Statements for Social Work, the Professional Capabilities Framework and the Knowledge and Skills Statements.

For more information about foundation years, visit: bnu.ac.uk/foundation